Winch solutions

[Jdyount]

I think it's pretty sad that Ford did not design the grill and bumper around a winch. It seems like a major oversight.

However, I'm more interested in your take on a winch being an essential tool. In my 50+ years of off-roading in BC with my Dad (and later myself) we've been in two situations where a winch was necessary, and the first time, it would have been much better to have the winch on the rear as pulling forward was not ideal. In the other situation, while a winch would have helped, I managed to recover with some shovelling and traction boards.

So I'm curious what kind of situations you're getting into where a winch has saved you?

Not to be a jackass, but if you're often getting into a situation where you need a winch, isn't that more a statement about bad judgement, than the necessity of a winch?

Now if you're doing trails where winching over some obstacles is a known necessity before you even depart, that's another story... but if you don't have a winch, you just don't do those trails... right?

First, if you have to qualify a statement with "Not to be a jackass", you're probably being a jackass....

I've been in situations on trails that I've been down 100 times without using a winch where that 1 time the conditions were such that having a winch avoided body damage. That doesn't mean I have bad judgment, just means that conditions change. I've also been in situations where I knew I could get out but I would have had to tear up the trail, having a winch prevented that (Tread lightly).

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[North7]

We have seen this before, but it still looks good.

It may look good but it is non-functional concept art. It blocks the intercooler, ACC sensor and parking sensors, other than that it's great.

 

[FLSTFI Dave]

I get laugh out of this even though it pisses me off that the winch does not work on my configuration.

D. FORD PERFORMANCE BY WARN®
BRONCO WINCH KIT
The Ford Performance by WARN. Bronco Winch Kit was co-developed by Ford and WARN engineers to develop a winch solution for the 2021 Bronco that offers an OEM-level of fit, finish, durability, and vehicle integration.
• Only available on 2021 Broncos with OE Modular Front Bumper and without a front camera and without adaptive cruise control
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In my opinion this is an Epic Fail. It is a very low level of vehicle integration at best.

A high level it would work with all packages or options. Huge Fail. How can they even print and claim a high level of integration? If I was on the team for integration, and this is what I came up with I would expect to be fired. I sure would not print high level if integration either

 

[North7]

I get laugh out of this even though it pisses me off that the winch does not work on my configuration.


In my opinion this is an Epic Fail. It is a very low level of vehicle integration at best.

A high level it would work with all packages or options. Huge Fail. How can they even print and claim a high level of integration? If I was on the team for integration, and this is what I came up with I would expect to be fired. I sure would not print high level if integration either

I fully agree, not a single one of the Ford's engineers would ever be hired as aerospace systems engineers, it's not rocket science, but they would never get it. Systems Requirements, Design Reviews, Integration & Verification, concepts they would never understand.

 

[The Bronze]

So I'm curious what kind of situations you're getting into where a winch has saved you?

Not to be a jackass, but if you're often getting into a situation where you need a winch, isn't that more a statement about bad judgement, than the necessity of a winch?

Here is one example:

Traction boards and a shovel isn’t going to get you out of this. A pendulum pull with a winch is the easiest, safest way to put this back on the trail. This happens all the time, but usually invokes a little snow or ice on a sloped portion of a trail……

 

[GrayGhostDog]

It may look good but it is non-functional concept art. It blocks the intercooler, ACC sensor and parking sensors, other than that it's great.

That could be the case about it being concept art, but I'm not so sure about a bumper designed similarly would be an issue for at least parking sensors and ACC(as long as the bumper is designed to accept those options). The big question is whether the Broncos has enough space to wedge a winch/winch plate in between the bumper and the intercooler... it appears it can be achieved on a Ranger, but that doesn't necessarily mean the same could be done on the Bronco... I also do not see a winch being installed in front of the intercooler as a big issue.

Depending on what type of wheeling you maybe into, a winch may not be necessary... if I were more into high-speed running(think Wildtrak/Warthog or Raptor-type of vehicle) I would not want a winch... adds too much extra weight. If you're more into overlanding or taking slow challenging trails then a winch should be a high consideration.

 

[North7]

That could be the case about it being concept art, but I'm not so sure about a bumper designed similarly would be an issue for at least parking sensors and ACC(as long as the bumper is designed to accept those options). The big question is whether the Broncos has enough space to wedge a winch/winch plate in between the bumper and the intercooler... it appears it can be achieved on a Ranger, but that doesn't necessarily mean the same could be done on the Bronco... I also do not see a winch being installed in front of the intercooler as a big issue.

I'm new to Ford turbo's, but logic tells me the inter"cooler" needs air flow to cool. A quick google search yielded this:

An air to air intercooler relies on the airflow over the fins/tubes to bring down the IATs, and believe me, it makes a big difference. On the dyno, with the fans blowing at my intercooler, one side is warm to the touch, and the cool side, is very cold. It also really depends on how OVERefficient ford designed the intercooler to be.

https://forums.beyond.ca/threads/37...low-over-an-intercooler?p=4246010#post4246010

 

[gizmohd]

What about the location shown on the 'stock' racer from 4wp? seems like they may be on to something....

 

[GrayGhostDog]

I'm new to Ford turbo's, but logic tells me the inter"cooler" needs air flow to cool. A quick google search yielded this:


https://forums.beyond.ca/threads/37...low-over-an-intercooler?p=4246010#post4246010

Thanks for the link... I'm still going through it, but with limited browsing I still see it as possibly not being an issue, especially in this type of application. How much air cooling is even happening during slow, technical wheeling or rock crawling? I would figure you would be getting more air cooling at much higher rates of speed. I look at my truck that has the 3.5 H.O. EB and in my state we are required to have a mounted front license plate... it is mounted directly in front of the grill concealing the intercooler... I think I recall seeing the Bronco's front plate mounting will be in front of the grill, just below the BRONCO lettering. Well, that puts it in front of the grill concealing the radiator unit(and I believe it has shudders, too, in front of the radiator unit).

All I'm saying is that I'm not so sure that placing an object in front of the intercooler will prevent it from getting adequate amounts of air... it is probably not ideal, but...

 

[North7]

Thanks for the link... I'm still going through it, but with limited browsing I still see it as possibly not being an issue, especially in this type of application. How much air cooling is even happening during slow, technical wheeling or rock crawling? I would figure you would be getting more air cooling at much higher rates of speed. I look at my truck that has the 3.5 H.O. EB and in my state we are required to have a mounted front license plate... it is mounted directly in front of the grill concealing the intercooler... I think I recall seeing the Bronco's front plate mounting will be in front of the grill, just below the BRONCO lettering. Well, that puts it in front of the grill concealing the radiator unit(and I believe it has shudders, too, in front of the radiator unit).

All I'm saying is that I'm not so sure that placing an object in front of the intercooler will prevent it from getting adequate amounts of air... it is probably not ideal, but...

Here are photos of the Intercooler / ACC Sensor assembly, they are below the bumper not in front of the radiator. Second is a shot of the grill are that contains the active grill shutters, but these are for the grill/radiator area, you can see in the intercooler photo it has it's own separate shutter assembly.

 

[GrayGhostDog]

Here are photos of the Intercooler / ACC Sensor assembly, they are below the bumper not in front of the radiator. Second is a shot of the grill are that contains the active grill shutters, but these are for the grill/radiator area, you can see in the intercooler photo it has it's own separate shutter assembly.

Excellent shot! When I attended the "Meet the Bronco" event I totally should have taken more pics. With that said, your photos provided interesting data... knew about the active grill shutters. What I didn't know was there were active shutters in front of the intercooler! I also didn't know that the intercooler looks extremely close to the front-lower bumper. From the looks of it, I don't see the Bronco having a straightforward bolt-on winch installation much different than the Ford Performance by Warn Winch solution. I'm sure the aftermarket will come up with more "cleaner" and/or "integrated" solutions, but not without some degree of modifications... aka: removal of and/or relocation of parts.

Because I am in need of a winch, I'm willing to compromise on losing some front camera view and turning off the front parking sensors if I have to...

I'd really like to see how the camera looks with a low profile winch/solonoid relocated on the existing Ford option.
I know It will still block some of the view, but it would be nice to know by how much.

... this may be a good idea to look into in the interim.

 

[Virtual-Chris]

Here is one example:

Traction boards and a shovel isn’t going to get you out of this. A pendulum pull with a winch is the easiest, safest way to put this back on the trail. This happens all the time, but usually invokes a little snow or ice on a sloped portion of a trail……

I'm guessing you were high-centred on the drive line?

I was in a similar situation in my 4Runner on a snowy road, so I know exactly what you're saying... but I was able to drive forward and get up on the road and out of the ditch by shovelling the snow in front of the tires on the slope and using traction boards. But I wasn't hung up on the undercarriage so the tires on the road could help pull it up.

I would say my situation was caused by bad judgement (of where the road ended and the bank started) and suppose I was fortunate I didn't need a winch.

My point was, if one end's up in this situation every weekend, then it's probably time to examine what you're doing to get yourself into this situation repeatedly.

 

[swooshdave]

Get your Bronco, take off the bumper and see what is really there. Then we'll really know what can go where.

 

[Bronkers]

What about the location shown on the 'stock' racer from 4wp? seems like they may be on to something....

Is that not the upper section of the modular bumper? Note the Allen screws.

Not that it may matter much, looks like winch is low and aft of said bumper piece...

 

[Virtual-Chris]

First, if you have to qualify a statement with "Not to be a jackass", you're probably being a jackass....

I've been in situations on trails that I've been down 100 times without using a winch where that 1 time the conditions were such that having a winch avoided body damage. That doesn't mean I have bad judgment, just means that conditions change. I've also been in situations where I knew I could get out but I would have had to tear up the trail, having a winch prevented that (Tread lightly).

Well, I made that disclaimer because I assumed people would think I was trying to be a jackass when I‘m really wanting to have a serious conversation.

You raise a good a point, but I guess my point was not well communicated or got lost. My point was that if you’re relying on a winch to “save you” regularly, you’re doing it wrong. Or in other words, theres something wrong with your judgement if every outing you need “saving”. If it’s saving you occasionally, or that 1 time, that’s great. That’s a good reason to have a winch.

I’m not anti-winch. I just think some people may be inclined to be more reckless or exercise poor judgement bevause they can always pull themselves out with the winch. If you’re smart, you’ll have a winch and never need it.

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